Should Mickey Walker be considered the #1 head to head at 147?

First off, I want to say I think Mickey Walker was just an incredible fighter...but it seems to me, he rounded into more of a force at middleweight than welter...Don't you think?
IMO he would be much harder to beat at 160lbs.
I'd pick SRR, Gavilan, SRL, Rodriguez, Burley, Griffith and Duran...to beat him. Maybe I should say "outpoint" him instead! I don't see anyone standing in toe to toe for extended periods against the Bulldog.

 

uh huh..
Right.

 

Honestly McGrain...IMO it's a damn tough fight. I'd say the '79-'80 Duran would have the speed and the defense to outpoint Walker...The Walker fights I've seen are Loughran, Schmeling,Hudkins II, Milligan, and Sharkey highlights...I'm not disputing Walker's toughness or his tenacity...He's a killer. But I'm picking Duran stylistically because of his defense. Walker's punches travel in a wider arc, Duran is very adept at pressuring and slipping punches, I feel Duran would be capable of slipping Walker's left hook, and countering to the body...then clinching, before Walker gets off again. During the first Leonard fight, he demonstrated the ability to slip a very fast handed fighter's blows...I sure Walker would be quick at welter, but not SRL quick...Another reason is that Duran absolutely excelled when other fighters approached him...namely timing them with quick right hand leads, then attacking from an angle.When being approached, Duran did not have to make the initial feint to find an opening, he could just counter... He couldn't get away with approaching Walker like any other welter, he'd have to box more...but Duran had that skillset...especially against someone his height. I'd pick Duran by decision...
I feel Walker came into his own at middleweight...
There you go...I'm insane!

 

Why don't you please explain?
Why Walker KO 10 Duran?

 

I also think Walker was better at MW. I don't think at WW he was as skilled as Duran, and by no means is this a mismatch.

 

Walker would get beaten by quite a few welterweight boxer types imo. Sure, if anyone wants to go toe-to-toe with him, Walker will likely triumph, but he could be outpointed by the likes of Robinson, Leonard, Whitaker, Rodriguez, Graham and I'd favour the likes of Gavilan, Hearns and Napoles as well, though he'd have a decent chance against the latter three. A younger Jack Britton might have beaten him as well (he actually did, but of course that was a green Walker), and Barney Ross would have a decent chance of outboxing him too. Possibly even a welterweight Benny Leonard could do the trick on his best night there.

 

Are you in agreeance that Walker was at his best more at MW?

 

Come on, you mean that fight footage I gave you didnt make you think he can beat Gavilan>???

I favor Walker over Billy Graham though, it would be a slugfest, but Walker was faster. And he find Hearns glass chin.

 

McGrain.
No disrespect taken.
But I am puzzled to why you put your opinion out and then just expect that to suffice...(?)
I'll just assume you are basing your point in regards to the battle Walker engaged Greb...That is indeed worth considering, and I'll not overlook it!
I believe Walker to be the stronger fighter even at welter, Kearns remarked that Walker had a similar build to another welter by the name of Joe Walcott, in regarding his thick set musculature...who as you know, who also took on heavyweights, which is just flat out incredible...He and Walker were indeed welterweight forces of nature! The likes of this problably will never be seen again.
Strength is one advantage Walker would have over Duran...How many others? Size? It's relatively close, one at 5'7" Walker, Duran is 5'8"...Speed? I'd have to go with Duran, in his better welterweight fights, he looked as though he had retained his speed from his lightweight days...and his speed is substancial in a match up with Walker. Defense? Against Loughran, Walker did avoid alot of jabs, and rolled out of the way against Loughran's sporadic rights...but I feel by judging the films, that Duran has a considerable edge in aggressive defense over Walker...
Walker does not demonstrate the ability to close distance, making an opponent miss, and then countering in a split second time span (in comparison to Duran)...Duran demonstrated his defensive ability in any fight you care to mention...at welter. Carlos Palomino, a strong body puncher was nullified by Duran for the most part of ten rounds...it was a shut out for Duran on the basis of his defense...Ray Leonard, incredibly fast hands and decent power...Duran did get hit in this fight...But again for the most part, he was able to evade and smother Leonard's very fast combinations and power punches...A question, do you think Walker has the ability to punch as quickly as Leonard? I don't...Davey Moore, at junior middleweight, another clinic on defensive infighting...But I'll say Walker is much more experienced than the relative novice Moore (in comparison to Duran)
Power...how strong a puncher was Walker? Is he underated? Possibly so. Jack Britton, the man Walker defeated for the welterweight title was only stopped once in 344 fights!...Walker defended his title four times, the names that stand out to me are Dave Shade a west coast fighter who used the bob and weave attack, and Lew Tendler, a very highly regarded power punching southpaw who went the distance twice against Benny Leonard...Tough opposition, I'll admit that!...Before Walker fought Greb, he got the better of a fight against Mike Mctigue the reigning light heavyweight champion...I have to pose this question...Should Walker have scored more kayo's at welter then he did? It is difficult to say...but I do think that he was a more powerful middleweight than welter...due in part to difficulty making the weight and the noticible power he demonstrated against bigger men fighting above the welterweight limit. Duran's power output did nosedive when fighting bigger men than lightweight...but in alot of fights over his prime fighting weight, he demonstrated the capability to hurt larger men...Leonard, Cuevas, Palomino, Moore, Barkley...Do you think Duran's power is overated or underated? I'm sure the fighters he fought will tell you he is a punishing fighter no matter what they might weigh.
While I admire Walker for his fighting spirit and willingness to tangle with anything put in front of him...I cannot think of another advantage he may have over Duran other than strength and power...and while Walker was a good hitter at welterweight, it is regarded that he was not a great puncher at this weight.
I maintain that Duran has a more refined defensive style that enables him to attack and counter the offense that Walker demonstrates on film at welterweight...and that will earn a decision win for him at welterweight.
As for Walker kayoing Duran in 10?
Prove it!
Duran was only legitimately stopped twice by Hearns and Joppy well above welterweight. If Latzo, Tendler, Friedman, Shade, and Jones (NC) can last the distance with Walker at welterweight in title defenses, why can't argueably one of the greatest all round fighters in Roberto Duran? Duran is definitely one of the ten greatest fighters in boxing history...at the very least! Argueably he is top five of all time!!!
Again I ask in what way will Walker beat Duran at welterweight? Why don't you do some homework?

 

Probably. It's hard to say though. I think Walker's greatest asset was his durability. His greatest weakness was his ability to deal with speedy boxer types. I think that weakness was more hidden the higher up in weight he went. That is to say, he was more likely to encounter speedy boxers at welterweight than he was at middleweight. At middleweight fighters were a tad slower and not as nimble and so Walker could handle them quite well.